Fuse for projectiles



June 2, 1925.

w. L. LUKENS FUSE FOR PROJEGTILES Fuga April v, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet, 1

NS NN EN Nm.

June 2 m25- Y W. L. LUKENS FUSE FOR PROJEGTILES Filed April 7, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet `2 2 25 Ff 5' la Z6 Patented June 2, 1925.

. cire stars WILLIAM L. LUNENS; or' BET'HLEH'EM, PENNSYLVANIA, AssrGNoR ro BETHLE'Hii/i;

siriani;v coarrasaY;7 A cosronariciv" or EENNSYLVANIA. I

FUSE roe rRoJEe'rILEs.

*Applicationv filedv April 7,

Taal? whom t mag/ concern:

Be it known that I, TILLIAM L. LUNE-Ns. a citizen of the United States, and residing at Bethlehem, Northampton County. State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuses for Projectiles, of which the following is a specification. Y

This Vinvention relates to. artillerjv ammunition and particularly to projectiles having point detonating fuses of the adjustable. type.. j l A In the v,application filed September 20', 1922, in the names o-f VVilliam LLLuheIis and John A. Taylor, Serial No. 589A34, is disclosed and` claimed a projectile within the. walls. of which is secured a fuse of the adjustable type which lis adapted to be adjusted frornwithout the .projectile by means extending through an aperture the pro jectile wall to give different speeds of action..y The fuse disclosed is o f novel form and is adapted to be Aadjusted to effect the` detonation of theprojectile bursting charge either before the projectile body strikes the target at the instant the projectile body strikes the body or after the projectile body; strikes-the target. The means for causing' the fuse to function before Vthe' projectile bodji contacts with the target comprises an anticipator insertable through the aperture in the projectile wall and projecting inv front of the projectile, the inner end of the. anticipater being connected to a movable part of the fuse7 that is, to a-firingvpin carrierv which is thrust rearwardly when the end of the anticipator Strikes the target to contact the primer. ,Y

The, object f the present invention.v is to improve onthe invention disclosed iii the application above mentioned whereby the fuse is rendered simpler in construction `and cheaper to manufacture and the projectile with,whicli it is used safer to handle and tov lire .from a gun. In the present fuse all possibility of premature explosion in the gun barrel when the anticipator is used is avoided, the present censtruction being such that the anticipator. isconnected to a non-movable portion of the fuse. i

l ay beeinbodied in varieus forms, one of which is illustratedin the accompanying drawings waj7 of example.

- In' the drawings;

. Figure iis an aan ionga'udinai Section The invention striking was?.` Serial No. Gewiss.

through the forward porti-onof anexplosive Y projectile havingv the novelk fuse and fuse adjusti-ng means incorporated therein7 the fuse being adjusted for delayed action and the parts being shown in the positions which they occupy beforethe projectile is fired from agun;`

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the positions of the parts afterthe projectile has i struck a target;,

A.lligure 3 a view similar to Figurelfv but showing .the positions of the parts of the fuse after striking a target. where tflierfi'isev haspbeen adjusted previc'insljf` before firing to.

immediate detonation insteadof a de-A layed detonation;

mgm-e 4 is. a: WGW Similar' to'r Figure s showing the positions of the fuse parts after a tar'getwher'e the anticipatr isused;v l l l `Ililiguile y5 is a Figure 2;.and j Y y p Gis a sectionV on the line 654-6 of Figure 1. n I ,o

A hollow projectile body is indicatedsat 10 and its ogival nose is. shown at 11, the adjacent, ends of these Aportions havingthreaded engagementV withv the internally and externally threaded adapter The adapter 12 supports the fuse F,.t lie cylin-y portion of the head y13 I'of the `Stranieri on the une 545er drical Vrear y fuse having` threaded engagement with the inner wall of theadapter. The body' portionvlt of the use is of less diameter, than the head and extends into. and has threaded engagement with'the a'z'al recess in the head. c t t,

The ogivalpoint 11 of they projectile is provided with a circular axial aperturejin its forward end and a plug 1,5 extends intotliis aperture, lthisplug being provided with retaining springs 16 which engage in recesses 17. so that the plug is held frictionalljT in position, but may be removed manually' Y f ro'in` the. aperture in which it normalji rests. The body portion of the fuse Lis formed Vvsub'stantially in the manner i dey-, scribed and claimed in PatentNo'. 1,250,919 issuedft J P. Madden and W. LirLnlens,

.December 18,1917.,

\ The head of the fuse is'substantiallycylin; drical thc-ugh. tapering externally at its eirtreine forwardend so aslto clear th'eriiiner wall of the pointll. The axial `ope'nii'ig in the been is also substantially,cyliinilicaiy forward end of the fuse body 14 has thread'- Y ferred to.

ed engagement with the wall of the axial recess in the head of the fuse. Positioned y between the oppositely facing shoulders VofV the head and body of the fuse are abutting disks 19 and 20, each ofwhich is centrally apertured so Athat a continuous flame passage through the disks is provided. The disk 1S) has threaded engagement with the body 14; ofthe fuse and serves to retain.'

within the body the centrifugalcage 21, and

the Vplunger 22, these members being' posi-` tioned in communicating coaxial chambers in thefuse body, and functioning in the manner pointed out in the prior patent re- The disk 2O serves to retain within the recess in the head of the fuse the movable parts therein contained, when the head'is detached from the baseor body..

carrier fittingwithin-the forward section of the axial aperture'in the head of the fuse and Vhaving threaded` engagement therewith soas to be non-*movable relatively toV the fuse head after the parts have been as-v semble'd. Slidably contained within the cylindrical axial aperture inthe fusehead is `the primer carrying block or cylinder 25.v

Normally, this block is prevented from approaching the firing pin by means of the centrifugal 'locking bolts 26 which are urged inwardly by springs 27'.v A creep spring 28 is Valso interposed betweenl the slidable primer carrier andthe stationary firing pinv Vcarrying'block 23 which .opposes movement of the primer carriertoward the firing pin. The primer is indicated at 29, a flash V.port bolt Vat 30 and flash powder at 31 and'l32.

An enlarged section of the primer carrierY is shown in Figure 6 and'it willbe seen from thisl drawingthat the aperture 35 in the Hash' port bolt, which is shown vin the position which it normally occupies, is` inV communication with a chamber containing a' delay pellet 86 which chamberin turn communicates by mean's'ofan aperture 37 with the flash powder 32. A spring 39nor- Y.betweenV the lmally ytends to movethe flashv port bolt 30v to such position that the portpor conduit 40 in this bolt provides a' direct llame passage der 32, as, shown in Figures 3 and 41 Normally, however, the flash .port bolt is locked Y againstmovement by a cotter pin 41 whichl extends through apertures. in the primer carrier andl flash port bolt and which is connectedk by means of a cord 42 to the plug 15. When the cotter pinfll has been withdrawn, whichv .may be accomplished .Y by

the flash port bolt will pulling-out the plug, move tto" the position iniwhich it is shown Y is claimed asv new and desiredto be flashpowder 31 and flash pow-f'V anticipator pin 43 inserted through the aperture in the point. This anticipator has a recess in its end adapted to receive a boss llprojecting axially forward from the threaded plug 23 which constitutes in reality the forward end of the fuse.. The retaining spring i5 on theboss engages within apertures in the pin to hold the same frictionally in position. If the 'projectile y armed withV the anticipator has normal im- Y pact Vwith the target the progress of the prorjectile is arrestedbefore the project-ile body contacts with the target and the primer carrier moves forward so that the primer con- Aliring Ypm carriernis indicated at 23, having secured thereto a firing' pin 424:,sa1d

blow so that Ythe end ofthe anticipator does vnot contact .vwith the target, the fuse will'. function neverthelessbythe V forward rmovement ofthe primer carrier.

To one skilled in the art'V the advantiufges and. possibilities of the invention 'will be apparent and vit will Aalso be: obvious that the design andv arrangement'of the component parts of the fuse may be changed without departing from the spirit ofthe invention. Y

"Ha-ving thus described the invention what Y secured by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a hollow projec;

a fuse completely enclosed within the 'pro-- jectile wall and adapted to be adjusted for different speedsof action, means for controlling the adjustment kof the fuse and re-` 'p movable through said aperture, andan ani ticipator insertable-,through said aperture after the removalj of said means, said'fuse and anticipator having interengaging means whereby the latter may be detachably secured to a fixed portion ofthe fuse.

y tile body .having an aperture therein, of

2. yThe combinationV with a hollow pro# I jectile body having an aperture therein, of a fuse enclosed within the projectile wall andy secured thereto, said fuse havingraY non-movable portion at its forward`-v end and being adjustable for different speeds of action,l Vsaid non-movable portion' Vhaving means thereon for the attachment .of an anticipator insertablethrough the *aperture in the projectile body. f j f The combination with ahollow'projectile bodyv havingan aperture therein, of a fuse enclosedffwithin the projectile @wall izo and secured thereto, said fuse being adjust able for different speeds kof action, and said fuse having' a non-movable portion at its` forward end against which an anticipator introduced through said aperture may rest.

fhe combination with a hollow projectile body having an aperture therein, of a fuse completely enclosed within the projectile wall and adapted to be adjusted for different speeds of action, means for controllingl the adjustment of the fuse and removable Vthrough said aperture, a detachable plug closing' said aperture, a link connection between said means and said plug, and an anticipator insertable through said aperture after the. removal of said plug, said fuse and anticipator having interengaging means, whereby the latter may be detachably secured to a. fixed portion of the fuse.

5. In a fuse for projectiles, the combination with a fuse body, of an anticipator adapted to be secured to the fuse body, a boss projecting axially forward from said body and fixed thereto, said anticipator having a recess formed in the end thereof receptive of said boss, and a spring member fixed to said boss and adapted to frictionally means Xed to said member and adapted' to detachably secure the anticipator to the fuse body.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WILLIAM L. LUKENS. 

